Ben Webster - Plays Ballads

AllMusic Review by Scott Yanow

Ben Webster had a perfect tone for playing ballads, full of sentiment and emotion. On this Storyville release he caresses seven timeless melodies in a variety of settings including trios with either Teddy Wilson, Ole Kock Hansen or Kenny Drew on piano, backing by The Danish Radio Big Band (on "Cry Me a River") or a version of "Greensleeves" with a string orchestra. Although largely forgotten in the United States (he had moved to Europe in 1965), Ben Webster was still in fine form this late in his career.

Ben Webster

Plays Ballads

00:00 - Stardust 06:24 - Cry Me a River 10:33 - For Heaven's Sake 18:18 - Greensleeves 20:38 - My Romance 29:10 - Willow Weep for Me 35:13 - Old Folks

1 STARDUST Bass – Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen Drums – Makaya Ntsoko* Piano – Teddy Wilson 2 CRY ME A RIVER Bass – Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen Conductor – Niels Jørgen Steen Drums – William Schiöppfe* Guitar – Ole Molin Piano – Ole Koch Hansen* Reeds – Bent Nielsen, Erling Christensen, Flemming Madsen, Jesper Thilo, Uffe Karskov Trombone – Helmuth Hjort Hansen, Ole Kurt Jensen, Per Espersen, Poul Jørgensen, Torolf Mølgård* Trumpet – Allan Botschinsky, Henry Henkel, Palle Bolvig, Palle Mikkelborg, Perry Knudsen 3 FOR HEAVENS SAKE Bass – Hugo Rasmussen Drums – Bjarne Rostvold Guitar – Ole Molin Piano – Ole Koch Hansen* 4 GREENSLEEVES Bass – Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen Drums – Al Heath* Piano – Kenny Drew Reeds – Bent Nielsen, Jesper Thilo, Sahib Shihab, Uffe Karskov Strings – Aage Bertelsen, Anton Kontra, Børge Madsen, Erling Christensen, Finn Ziegler, H. Bjerregaard Jensen, Hans Christian Schwenger, Helge Willer-Nielsen, Holger Bjerre, Kurt Jensen, Mogens Holm Larsen, Ove Winther, Per Lüdolph, Stanley Carlson, Svend Aage Blankholm, Svend Aage Jensen 5 MY ROMANCE Bass – Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen Drums – Al Heath* Piano – Kenny Drew 6 WILLOW WEEP FOR ME Bass – Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen Drums – Al Heath* Piano – Kenny Drew 7 OLD FOLKS Bass – Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen Drums – Bjarne Rostvold Piano – Ole Koch Hansen* Compilation Label Storyville 1989